Minolta announces DiMAGE 5, DiMAGE 7!By
Mike Tomkins(Wednesday, May 23, 2001 - 03:00 EDT)Minolta's new SLR-style digicams with their innovative electronic viewfinders get their official worldwide launch...Minolta has today officially announced its DiMAGE 5 and DiMAGE 7 digital cameras, which we first told you about at the PMA 2001 show in Orlando. Not many details were released at that time, the official statement being that the two cameras would share a 7x optical zoom lens, common body and 'Digital Hyper EVF' electronic viewfinder. The DiMAGE 5 would feature a 1/1.8" 3.3 megapixel CCD, whilst the DiMAGE 7 would get the first 2/3" 5.2 megapixel CCD image sensor in a consumer/prosumer digicam. Focal length equivalents were also released, with the DiMAGE 5 being 35-250mm, and the DiMAGE 7 a somewhat wider 28-200mm (the difference hailing from the different image sensor dimensions).

Now that the cameras have been officially announced, we can provide you with lots, lots more information... Both cameras have ISO ratings from 100 - 800, center-weighted and spot metering as well as 256-segment matrix metering in the DiMAGE 5, and 300-segment matrix metering in the DiMAGE 7. There's aperture and shutter priority modes, as well as full manual exposure, focusing and white balance. Both cameras are compatible with IBM's Microdrive, from 340MB right the way up to 1GB... Other shared features include a wired remote control (optional), time-lapse mode, CCD-RAW file format, optional external battery pack and more.

Most interesting of all? The pricing - only $999 for the DiMAGE 5, and $1499 for the DiMAGE 7! Availability hasn't yet been announced, however these cameras both look set to create a lot of excitement with a powerful feature-set at a price that should see them within many people's budgets! Full specifications for the Minolta DiMAGE 5 and DiMAGE 7 are in our database.

With a 7x optical zoom and up to 5.24 Megapixels, the new DiMAGE digital cameras strengthen Minolta’s position in the expanding digital still camera market

New York City/San Francisco (May 23, 2001) – Minolta Corporation has introduced two easy to operate high-end digital cameras designed to appeal to photographers, photo enthusiasts and a host of business users seeking advanced digital technologies with no compromise in image quality. The new Single-Lens Reflex (SLR)-type Minolta DiMAGE 7 (5.24 megapixel) and DiMAGE 5 (3.34 megapixel) digital cameras feature 7x optical and 2x digital zoom abilities. Fundamental to the design of these new cameras are core technologies of ultra high resolution apochromatic lenses (Minolta GT LENS), Minolta’s innovative CxProcess(TM) Image Processing System, plus a high speed Large Scale Integration (LSI) chip and the world’s first Flex Focus Point autofocus control which enhances creative picture-taking.

“With the introduction of these new digital cameras, Minolta is taking a dramatic and powerful position in the rapidly evolving digital still camera market,” said Brian Miller, vice president of marketing, Minolta Corporation’s Consumer Products Group. “By building upon our past successes in this category and leveraging our strong heritage as a leading camera manufacturer, Minolta is committed to developing a new class of digital cameras that provide uncompromising image quality, performance that satisfies even the most demanding photographers and photo enthusiasts at affordable prices.”

The new DiMAGE 7 and DiMAGE 5 feature Minolta’s new technological developments designed to provide high-quality images as well as a wide array of digital functions for creative photography. Many advanced features that were found only on high-end professional digital cameras are now offered at more affordable prices. The DiMAGE 7 is equipped with a 2/3 inch-type CCD with a total of 5.24 million pixels. The DiMAGE 5 features a 1/1.8 inch-type CCD with 3.34 million pixel resolution. Both digital cameras feature a lightweight magnesium alloy body and built-in flash. These cameras also take advantage of Minolta’s acclaimed ADI (Advanced Distance Integration) flash metering when used in conjunction with Minolta’s Program Flash 5600HS (D) and 3600HS (D).

“The development of these groundbreaking new digital cameras centers on Minolta’s expertise in superior autofocus technologies, light metering and exposure control, color metering, compact zoom lens design, digital image processing technology and ultra miniaturization,” said Jon Sienkiewicz, vice president, digital imaging products, Minolta Corporation’s Consumer Products Group. “The sophistication and portability of these new digital cameras will satisfy the needs of photo enthusiast as well as business users in fields as diverse as real estate, medical, law enforcement and insurance.”

The optics in both digital camera models consists of a newly designed all-glass 7x optical zoom Minolta GT LENS. The DiMAGE’s 7.2mm – 50.8mm, f/2.8-f/3.5 APO lens is an advanced apochromat using anomalous dispersion (AD) glasses and aspheric elements to provide sharp, bright images at all focal lengths. The DiMAGE 7’s optical zoom range is equivalent to (in 35mm photography) a 28mm - 200mm lens and the DiMAGE 5’s optical zoom range is equivalent to a 35mm - 250mm lens. Both cameras also feature a One-Touch 2x digital zoom to significantly increase the zooming range and a Super Macro capability, allowing close-up photography of subjects as near as 5 inches from the lens.

The image formed on the CCD is enhanced by Minolta’s exclusive CxProcess image processing technology to optimize sharpness, color reproduction, tonal gradation and noise to create clear and natural images. The wide dynamic range is provided by 12-bit A/D conversion to ensure natural color and tonal reproduction.

Minolta’s exclusive movable Digital Hyper Viewfinder (EVF), features a high-resolution ferroelectric display. The EVF functions as an information center that shows a full array of shooting information and monitors the effects of image manipulation and control. The Digital Effects Control allows users to adjust the color saturation, contrast and exposure before saving the image to a Type I or Type II CompactFlash Card. The world’s first Flex Focus Point feature in the digital camera expands focusing control by allowing the photographer to choose the position of the focus frame anywhere within the field of view.

For more detailed information on features and specifications of the Minolta DiMAGE 7 and the DiMAGE 5, please refer to the enclosed backgrounder and specification sheets.

Minolta Corporation Minolta Corporation, headquartered in Ramsey, New Jersey, is the largest subsidiary of Minolta Co. Ltd. of Osaka, Japan, a leading manufacturer of cameras, business equipment, radiometric instruments and planetariums. Minolta Corporation's Consumer Products Group (CPG) markets 35mm film and Advanced Photo System cameras, digital cameras, binoculars, accessory lenses, photographic light meters, 35mm and Advanced Photo System film scanners and other consumer products. Minolta is the exclusive distributor of Cokin filters.